Wisdom For The Wise
by imaginationroxmysox
Summary: Ever wonder why Fu is a major playa? Jake finds Fu on another backfired pick-up and soon finds out the true reason why he's not having luck with relationships. One-shot.


Jake's POV

"Stupid Rotwood can't tell the difference between a brownie and a unicorn," I muttered under my breath.

"Why did you even take mythology? You did have other options, you know," Danika pointed out. We were on our way to Gramps' shop from school and were just a few doors away from 'Canal Street Electronics'.

"I kinda assumed that we would actually learn something about actual magical creatures. It seemed like an easy credit." I shrugged. I opened the door and held it open for her, I started walking through the door behind her when she spun around and walked into me.

"I forgot my science textbook in my locker!" She half panicked, she had a test tomorrow and the teacher was notorious for making them way harder than they should be.

"Then maybe you should stop feeling me up and go get it." I winked. She punched me in the arm but was smiling. I lifted my arm and curled it in a flexing position. "You can't hurt this! These are my guns... arms of steel," I joked. She rolled her eyes and headed out the front door.

"Tell Gramps I'll be back in about an hour," she called back, I raised my hand over my shoulder in acknowledgement. I dropped my bag on the couch and started rummaging through the green backpack for my books for tomorrow s pop quiz. That 'professor' Rotwood is starting to work on my last nerve; if I wasn't supposed to keep the magical community a secret then I would so school him on magical creatures. I chuckled at the thought of Rotwood being beat up by short-tempered brownies for calling them sprites. I pulled out my binder and opened up to my notes. It didn't take me long to become bored.

"Aww, c'mon! Don't be like that!" I heard Fu call out in the backroom. I heard a loud slap from the other room and soon saw a labradoodle waltz under the pin-up curtain we used to shield the magical equipment from the human customers. Fu emerged from the doorjamb a few moments later, intent on having his company stay. She, however, would have none of it.

"You're a pig, Milton! Or was that a lie too! I'm out of here." She slammed the door behind her before Fu could get another word in edgewise. He turned around angrily and noticed me sitting on the couch, trying not to show my amusement over another failed pick up attempt on Fu's part, yet slightly shocked at the same time. Fu stared at me blankly, waiting for me to drop the first line.

"Milton?" I started to laugh. He shook his head exasperatedly before walking over and sitting on the couch beside me.

"Women, they're so complicated! What do they want from us?" he groaned. I stopped laughing.

"Have you ever asked one?" I tried to lighten the mood but he was too intent on his dilemma to care.

"They don't know - they just want to mess with your mind. They want to take your freedom and will to live. Never get involved, kid." What is this dog talking about? Does he even know?

"Fu, the problem is that you need to have more respect for women. You can't treat them the way you do and expect them to be all over you. It doesn't work like that," I explained.

Fu was, in all words, a player. He was always trying to meet chicks and always trying to impress them with empty lies and fake alter-egos. I m not gonna lie, I felt bad for them. His attitude sometimes annoyed me, especially when it jeopardized our missions. It's not like we haven't been pushed against the wall over something Fu did... or failed to do.

"This coming from 'Mack Daddy Jake'" he retorted.

"Doesn't mean I treat them like trash," I muttered.

"Well you're not the most respectable teenager here. Not a woman s rights activist either," he started to mumble. I soon started to suspect that this wasn't about respecting girls.

"You don't have to be a rights activist to be considerate or polite." I flipped through the pages of my textbook, slightly annoyed.

"What do you know? You're just 15, you're still a kid," he huffed, starting to get defensive. I closed my book and shifted so I was facing him on the couch.

"First, I'm still 14. Second, I'm physically 14 but technically older than you are. And third, I'm the only one of us who happens to be in a functioning relationship. So if I were you, I wouldn't make this about me and my flaws."

He ducked his head and looked away. "Sorry. It's just, you'd think that at 600 years I would be able to have a decent relationship," he said, a blush clearly visible through his fur. "Well, what have you been doing for the past 600 years?" I asked.

"I don't even know," he said with a shrug, leaving a heavy silence to settle between us.

"Maybe..." I started, "... you're scared of having a serious relationship because you've been alone your whole life. Gramps is your best friend, it's been just you guys for a long time; he's the closest person you've got." I knew that was probably grammatically incorrect but it seemed to have made sense to Fu. Gramps isn't going to be here forever, and with my track record, neither will I. He didn't move.

"I know how hard it is, to lose your constants like that. I lived a tonne of lives; I've seen friends and family die. I've had to say goodbye to so many people I cared about and some I never got the chance to say goodbye to. The point is that I know it's hard to let people in when you know that you'll have to watch them go... but you have to get involved with others. You need to touch as many lives as possible so you always have someone who has your back, but you can't abuse that ability, people are important... very important." My voice finished just above a whisper, I didn't even dare look at Fu.

"Relationships are really hard, Jake-"

"I know. I didn't say they weren t, it's just easier to build them on honesty than impressive lies. Like, Danika and I have known each other for almost a thousand years! It's never been easy but it was always smoother when we were honest and open to each other, it's some kind of law or something."

It's weird, a 14 year old (physically) kid giving relationship advice to a 600 year old dog. It's also weird how much helping someone else makes you think about your own life, your own relationships. I never liked to think about the people whom I've left behind so long ago, it actually kills me to think that I will probably never see the ones I loved ever again. I know that Gramps will die eventually, so will my parents and Fu. But will I really die? What if I had to keep coming back no matter what I did... until I finally got it right? He nodded and got up.

"Thanks, Jake." The Shar-Pei got up and walked to the back of the shop, I could hear the bathroom door close behind him. I sat there for a few minutes, just thinking. It was dead quiet when Danika came bursting through the door, out of breath and holding her science text in the air triumphantly.

"I ran there and back. What's my time?" She had a big grin glued to her face and sweat glistened on her forehead. I looked at my watch, easily becoming influenced by her good mood.

"About... twenty minutes, not even," I guessed. She raised her arms in the air in victory.

"Best time yet. She plopped down on the sofa next to me and reached into her schoolbag that she left behind for me to watch. She pulled out her binder and set it on the coffee table before looking up to realize that I was staring. "You OK?" she asked soberly.

I nodded and gave her a quick smile before stretching. "Wanna get out of here?" I asked and she dropped her arms to her sides in frustration.

"I just ran back to school to get a textbook and the moment I get back you want to leave," she stated. I nodded, she sighed.

"Where do you want to go?" She gave me a tired smile.

"Just for a quick walk, we'll be back in time for enough practice and studying to last us all year," I enticed. She gave up and nodded, knowing I would go either way, with or without her. We got up to leave the shop, talking about where we were going to go and how long we should be gone for. As we passed the shop's large front windows I took a glance inside; Fu was at the entrance to the backroom watching us leave. I lifted my hand to say bye and he reciprocated. I smiled at the thought of escaping the merciless pit of homework waiting and slipped my arm around Danika's waist. Suddenly, I remembered something and smacked my head.

"Awwww, man!" I groaned. "I forgot my essay work at school!"


End file.
